MAY 18, 2004

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

ISSUE 3

Hanging plant baskets provide another level to your summer patio or porch garden. Singlespecies baskets already made up are available at retail nursery centers. Typically, these are 10-inch baskets fill with one kind of flowering plant that cascades over the edge of the container. Popular plant varieties include new breeds of flowing petunias, Tahitian bridal veil (Gibasis geniculata) and ivy geranium. Flowers and foliage are evenly distributed across the canopy. But why not create your own? Its easy. Start with the container. Hanging baskets can be made using traditional wire basket stuffed with sphagnum moss, terra cotta pots, ceramic pots, or plastic containers. Also, before buying plants for your basket, check the sun and shade patterns of the hanging area and choose the best plants for the basket's location. Avoid breezy sites where the plants may get battered by wind. For designing your basket with a style all its own, select plants that meet three basic criteria: no finicky nutritional needs, no major pest problems and plenty of heat tolerance. Following are some plants that make the grade: Abutilon Apricot Calibrachoa Trailing Blue and Cherry Pink Evolvulus Blue Daze Felicia Hanging Blue Geranium Acapulco Compact, Blue

Blizzard, Galleria Ruby Red and Galleria Snowfire Portulaca Apricot, Duet Rose and Duet Yellow Scaevola New Wonder Streptocarpella Blue Concord Cutera Snowstorm Torenia Summer Wave Blue Great candidates for combination baskets are those that alone are not that dramatic but collectively make a splashy display. Plant small plants at the start of the season so they grow together to form a natural, gathered-bouquet look that evolves as the species intertwine. You can cover up less than perfect plants, say, that lack foliage at the bottom or are droopy, by combining these plants to their best advantage with plants of differing characteristics. To achieve a pleasing combination basket, vary the form of the plants you choose. Use taller species to add height, mounded species to add mass, and lowgrowing, cascading species to fill in, add depth, and soften the edges of the container. Consider textural variations. A combination of coarse, medium and fine texture will be more pleasing than three to five plants of a similar texture. Color is a little tricky since you may be planting baskets

Designing
your own

before the plants have bloomed. Try to find a picture of the flower color or at least a thorough description. Another idea is to use all one-color flowers, but vary the lightness, darkness or strength of the color. For a little more interest, use closely related or analogous colors (for example, yellow, orange and red). (continued on p. 2)

flowering baskets

HANG IT ALL (continued from p.1)

Analogous colors are next to each other on the color wheel. Complementary colors demand attention. They are opposite each other on the color wheel. Purple and yellow or orange and blue are very effective compliments. Neutral colors--black, gray and whitecan add depth to the composition and help separate others colors that might clash or overwhelm each other. Susan Barton Suggestions for summer combinations baskets are: Pick off old flowers as they fade. This is called deadheading and it encourages blooming plant to produce more flowers instead of setting seed. If the plants start getting straggly, pinch a few inches off the stems, which encourages bushy new growth. Fertilizer - Because a hanging basket plant requires frequent watering, it also need to be fertilized often. Frequent watering leaches out soil nutrients. Apply a complete water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks.

TWO WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BED

Impatiens sultanii Fiesta series or Tioga multipetaled flowers in bright colors Verbena canadensis Coral, Lavender Geranium upright growth so flowers stand above foliage and Sarah Graves unique coral flowers with ruffled petals Ipomoea Blackie, Marquerite and Terrace Lime these sweet potato colors add coarse textures and great foliage colors Helichrysum Silver Licorice medium-textured and Icicles fine-textured Brachyscome Misty Lilac Lavender flowers held high above the fine foliage Whatever kind of container you use, keep the following in mind for healthy maintenance and summer-long bloom: Water - Hanging basket plants have small soil balls in proportion to the size of the plants, which means they tend to dry out rapidly, especially those plants grown in sphagnum moss baskets or terra cotta clay. Check pots daily and water as needed. During hot weather, you may need to water more often, depending on the kind of container and its size. Always take off the attached tray so water can drain out freely. Do your gardening plans include a new bed for flowers or vegetables? Then you will want to prepare the plot perfectly. Last fall the New Castle County Master Gardeners conducted a demonstration of two different methods for killing off grass in order to start a new planting space. Using the NCC Extension Teaching Garden on South Chapel Street in Newark, Master Gardeners compared the two methods sideby-side. One side was sprayed with a non-selective herbicide; for the other the grass was covered with layers of newspapers, which were then blanketed with several inches of hardwood mulch. To work effectively, non-selective or broad spectrum herbicides such as Round-up must be sprayed onto plants while they are actively growing. The leaves absorb the active chemical and move it systemically to the roots, resulting in death within days to two weeks. Because the plant must take up the chemical, no residue is left in the soil to damage new plantings. Be careful, however, that the spray does not drift onto desirable nearby plants. Also, stubborn or well-established weeds may need more than one application of the herbicide. Layers of newspaper and mulch kill off grass by blocking light. It may take several weeks to months to kill the roots, but no plant can survive indefinitely with no light. In our comparison trial, we found both techniques useful for garden-bed preparation. After two weeks, the lawn (continued on p. 3)

TWO WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BED (continued from p.2)

covered by newspapers and mulch had turned yellow and looked feeble; the herbicide-sprayed lawn looked dead. After one month the newspaper side looked dead, but a few dandelions and one patch of crabgrass had sprouted on the herbicide side. Checked after the winter, it appears both sides are ready to plant. The side treated with herbicide has appreciably more growth of weeds, whether newly seeded or from seeds that remained in the ground. Only a few weeds had sprouted on top of the mulch. So which technique is better for home use? It depends. If you need to clear an area with heavy turf and weeds, herbicide will work quickly, though some stubborn weeds could need more than one application. The area will be ready for tilling and planting within several weeks. Some gardeners may have concerns about the use of broad spectrum herbicide if valuable shrubs or plants are nearby, of if children and pets use the area. If you do choose herbicide, remember to read all the instructions on the product, wear proper protective clothing, and dont try to spray on a windy day. After spraying an area, you will need to wait a week to plant flowers, vegetables, and turfgrass, and up to a month to put in tomato plants. If newspapers and mulch suit your needs, you will get rid of grass and weeds, but more slowly. You will also have a head start on a mulched garden bed. Simply cut through the newspaper and plant right into the soil underneath; the mulch can be smoothed back into place. It is a good idea to cut slits into the newspaper so that rain can penetrate easily. Since the area is covered already, it will not be as easy to work up or till. If you plan to grow vegetables for consumption, you may wish to avoid using newspaper with colored inks; some may contain heavy metals that can build up in the soil. This experiment was conductMagnolia grandiflora Little Gem is an evergreen magnolia with lustrous dark green leaves and creamy-white, beautifully fragrant flowers. Michael Dirr, famous plantsman from the University of Georgia, claims the fragrance is "better than the best perfume." Little Gem is the smallest evergreen magnolia cultivar available growing to 20 high by 10 wide in 20 years. It can be grown as a single specimen or treated as a medium-sized screen or hedge. Leaves are smaller than the species (4") and flowers are smaller (3-4") but borne at a young age. Little Gem will flower continuously from May through October, but flower production slackens in the height of summer heat. This is a Zone 7 plant and should be planted in a protected spot in northern Delaware. This year marks the Delaware Nursery and Landscape Associations 10th annual Plant of the Year selection. These plants were chosen because they are great garden plants and particularly well suited to thrive in Delaware gardens. Ceratostigma plumbaginoides is a 12 tall, spreading groundcover with intense, bark-blue flowers in summer to late autumn. When the flowers drop, they leave behind a collar of maroon sepals that are also showy. Fall color is a wonderful bronze-red. This underused groundcover thrives in sun to part shade. Ceratostigma works well with spring bulbs because the foliage emerges late in the spring, allowing the bulbs to take center stage and then providing good coverage for the leaves of fading bulbs. Anne Boyd, New Castle County Master Gardener ed on the south end of the Cooperative Extension Teaching Garden, with the west side getting the newspapers and the east side herbicide treatment. Come and compare the results, and enjoy the plantings of native plants and shrubs!

DNLA PLANTS OF THE YEAR

Spiders, an arthropod relative of insects, are predators, mostly of insects. They tend to be generalist predators, not discriminating as to type of prey. Spiders have eight legs (insects have six), and they lack antennae and wings. Spiders have a body of two distinct sections versus the three sections of an insect. About 50 families of spiders occur in the United States, and most of these are good guysproviding an important garden benefit as natural control agents. While many Americans consider spiders creepy and dangerous, only two arachnids on mainland United States are poisonousthe black widow and the brown recluse. Ill get back to those, but first let me tell you the important job most spiders do and how they do it. Spiders capture their prey in three ways. The largest group construct a web. Common web spinners include the orb weavers, the sheet web spiders, the comb-footed spiders, and the funnel web spiders. The second most common method of capturing prey is active hunting and running down prey. Examples of hunting spiders include the wolf spider, the jumping spider, and the lynx spider. The third method, as seen in crab spiders, is the ambush method. These spiders are common on flowers and vegetation; they stay motionless until prey comes within easy grasp. Virtually any active stage of an insect's life cycle can fall prey to a spider. Some spiders will even eat insect eggs or pupae. Individual spider species are more likely to catch a certain prey type, based upon the method of prey capture. For example, orb weavers are more likely to capture adult flying insects than crawling ones. Spiders tend to have only a single genera-

tion per year. As a result, they are unable to rapidly increase their numbers. Spiders are more diverse in habitats with greater variety of plants and plant types. Spiders play a major role in the front lines of natural enemy complex. They help add stability and a buffer zone in the garden, which keeps insect pest populations from exploding. Spiders are susceptible to pesticides, so be careful when applying insecticide. Take a look. Maybe spiders and other beneficials are already keeping insects under control. Spiders common in Delaware Jumping Spider: Small to medium spiders with short legs and stout bodies. The body is hairy and may be brightly colored or iridescent. Found primarily under stones and in debris. They "jump" short distances to escape potential harm when disturbed. Crab Spider: As the name suggests, these mediumsized spiders are crab-like in appearance. They walk sideways or backwards to escape harm. Crab spiders spin no webs. Expert in camouflage, the crab spider lays in wait to ambush prey. One species can even change color depending upon the color of the flower it is resting on. Fishing Spiders: Often quite large, these spiders have a leg spread of three inches. Most live near water and can walk over the surface and even dive into water. They feed on aquatic insects and small fish. These spiders are rovers. Orb Weavers: Included in this (continued on p. 5)

SPIDERS (continued from p.4)

group are the garden spiders, many of which are brightly colored black and yellow or black and red. Typically found resting head downward near the center of their large orb web, they weave during the night. They feed on a wide variety of insects that fly into their web. Wolf and Ground Spiders: Most of these common spiders are large and dark brown in color. They may be found running along the ground chasing prey. Few build webs. Household Spiders: Common household spiders are the cobweb spiders and yellow house spiders. Cobweb spiders construct webs in corners and areas of little traffic such as basements. They trap all manner of insects that may invade homes. Yellow spiders make much smaller webs and hunt along window sills. walls or floors for suitable prey. Harvestman or Daddy-Longlegs: Although not spiders (they are a separate order of arachnids), they deserve mention here because they are found in our gardens. These arachnids have a small oval body and extremely long legs. They feed on plant juices and dead insects. Spiders to steer clear of The black widow spider, a comb-footed spider, is one of our largest arachnids. Females are about 1/2-inch long with long slender legs. A reddish or orangish markin the shape of an hourglassis visible on the underside of the globular abdomen. Although timid by nature, black widows will bite in self-defense if accidentally squeezed or threatened. Bites cause extreme pain, which usually extends to the abdominal muscles. Black widows seek out dark places in which to construct a retreat. This may bring them in close proximity to humans in sheds, under lawn furniture, and in lumber piles or yard debris. Wear gloves when cleaning out such areas, particularly in summer or fall. As for the brown recluse, when it bites, this spider is known to cause sores that are slow to heal. More common
Cooperative Extension Education in Agriculture and Home Economics, University of Delaware, Delaware State University and the United States Department Of Agriculture cooperating. Janice Seitz, Director. Distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, disability, age, or national origin.

in the southeastern United States than in Delaware, these spiders are easily transported, so check vacation gear when returning from a trip to a southern or western state. Basically shy, brown recluse spiders hide in dark corners and avoid contact with humans. If you feel intense pain after being bitten by a small (3/8 inch long) brown spider, call your physician. A distinctive identifying mark is a violin-shaped marking on top of the leg-bearing section of the body. Dewey Caron

GOLD MEDAL AWARD WINNERS

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has been awarding the Gold Medal Plant Award to little known and underused woody plants since 1988. Here is a description of one of the 2004 award winners. Magnolia Daybreak is an outstanding addition to the
Magnolia

Gold Medal Magnolia collection. It has clean, attractive foliage, unsurpassed fragrance, and blooms in May after any chance of frost. The large, deep pink flowers of Daybreak open to 9 to 10 inches in diameter. With an upright growth habit and pollution tolerance, it makes an excellent specimen or street tree. Plant in sun in well-drained soil. Grows 30 feet high by 6 feet wide. Hardy in zones 5 to 8.

Contributing Writers
Susan Barton, UD Extension Horticulture Specialist Dewey Caron, UD Entomologist Bob Mulrooney, UD Extension Plant Pathologist Derby Walker, Ag Agent, Sussex County Jo Mercer, UD Extension Educator, Horticulture Maggie Moor-Orth, Extension Ag Agent, Delaware State University Jay Windsor, UD Extension Agent, retired

KEEPING PLANTS AT ATTENTION: A BRIEF GUIDE TO STAKING PLANTS

For many gardeners staking plants is more of a challenge or an annoyance than a welcome aspect of garden maintenance. Finding easy, creative ways to keep plants at attention would make any gardener happy. If you want to avoid staking altogether, the solution may be simple as the site. For example, take advantage of a fence for "built-in" support as the plant grows. Do not plant sun-loving varieties in a shady spot; this forces plants to seek the sun. The plant gets long and leggy as it leans to catch some rays, and ends up blossom first in the soil. Another knock-down culprit is the wind. For the areas in which wind might present a problem for tall plants, put in tough, sturdy plants with good wind resistance Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) or Monarda (Bee Balm) are good choices. A natural way to support flopping plants is to put them next to varieties that will hold them up. Try combining shrubs with a bushy, dense habit near to perennials or annuals that tend to fall over. There are those plants, however, that are just tall. Delphinium, Aconitum, Cimicifuga and Thalictrum all present a challenge even when sited properly. One trick is to pinch back the growing tip of the plant about one month into the growing season. This promotes branching and a shorter, bushier habit without loss of flowers. This simple trick may make all the difference between having to stake or not. When all else fails and staking becomes necessary, knowing some basic rules will make staking a breeze. Staking early in the plants growth is a good idea. This helps protect roots and allows the plant to grow up naturally while hiding the method of staking. Matching the staking method to the type of plant growth helps creMarcia Stephenson, UD 03, Delaware Center for Horticulture ate a more natural, unobtrusive look in the garden. Fuller, bushier plants with large flower heads such as peony require either a metal grid stake in a circular frame or a similar cage style made with stakes and twine. In either case, setting them in upon early growth of the peony is important. Both of these staking methods allow the peony to grow up through the staking structure and provide support throughout the plant. As the plant grows, the staking becomes virtually invisible. Single stakes are used for plants with large heavy flowers on single stems. Dahlias, delphiniums, and lilies all work well with single staking. Bamboo, lightweight green aluminum, or stiff iron rods are some of the type of stakes available. Again, place these in the ground early so as not to disturb the roots, and insert 1 to 2 feet below the soil surface. Soft string or twist-ums are used to attach the completely elongated stem to the stake after buds have formed. An alternative to having to attach the stem to the stake is the curly-cue stake, which surrounds the stem as it grows up through. These stakes provide a creative alternative. One of the most natural staking methods is referred to as pea-staking. Widely used in English gardens, this method uses a cut, dense, twiggy, 3-dimentional branch or branches from a tree or shrub. Measure the branches slightly shorter than the expected growth on the plant you are staking. Push the branch or branches into the ground around the sides of the plant. As the plant grows it will cover the branches. The branches of birch, pin oak or buddleia work well for this method meant to hold up Coreopsis, Helenium, Campanulas and tall, hearty Geraniums or Asters. These are just some of the ways to combat plant flopovers without creating an abundance of work. Planning ahead and incorporating some of these ideas will help keep the garden looking its very best throughout the growing season.

PLANNING AHEAD FOR MOSQUITO SEASON

Delaware has lots of biting mosquitoes that need quiet, non-flowing water for development. The First States most notorious biter is the salt-marsh mosquito, which develops in brackish waterthe adults hatch two weeks following high tides. We also have freshwater mosquitoesone group develops in lowlying areas, including yards or areas near streams, while a third group develops from standing water in common containers, including tin cans, old tires and roof gutters. The best way to control mosquitoes is to find and eliminate their breeding sites. Doing away with large areas of standing water such as swamps or ditches requires community-wide effort. Here are some steps homeowners can take to prevent mosquitoes from breeding on their property: Dispose of old tires, buckets, plastic sheeting, or other containers that collect and hold water. Do not allow water to accumulate at the base of flower pots or in pet dishes for more than a few days. Clean debris from roof gutters and remove any standing water on patios or flat roofs. Change water in bird baths and wading pools at least once a week. Consider stocking ornamental ponds with predacious minnows, known as mosquito fish, or apply a "biorational" insecticide which prevents mosquitoes from developing in the water. Products containing methoprene(Altosid) or Bacillus thuringiensis var isrealiensis (Mosquito Dunks, Bactimos, & Vectobac) are essentially harmless to other aquatic organisms. Check for standing water around faucets, air-conditioner units, etc., and repair leaks or puddles that remain for several days. Eliminate seepage from cisterns, cesspools, septic tanks, and animal watering troughs. Fill or drain puddles, ditches, and swampy areas in your yard. Remove, drain, or fill tree holes and stumps. Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days. Mosquitoes can be kept out of homes by securely screening windows, doors, and porches. The occasional mosquito found indoors can be Dewey Caron eliminated with a fly swatter or aerosol-type insecticide labeled for flying insects. Repellents will help prevent bites out of doors. Use mosquito repellents containing ingredients such as diethyl toluamide (DEET). In general, the higher the percentage of DEET in the ingredients, the longer the protection. Lowpercentage formulations are available for use with young children. Non-DEET containing repellents (e.g., Avon Skin-So-Soft, citronella) may provide some relief, but to a lesser degree and for a shorter duration. Apply insect repellent on outer clothing as well as the skin. Adult mosquitoes prefer to rest in dense vegetation during the day. Remove tall weeds and grass in your yard. To further reduce intolerable populations of adult mosquitoes around structures, apply insecticides to the lower limbs of shade trees, shrubs and shaded areas adjacent to foundations. Lawn and garden formulations containing carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, malathion, or synthetic pyrethroids (e.g., permethrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin) are effective but only for a short time. Many consumer products claim to attract, repel, or kill outdoor infestations of mosquitoes. Most of these devices do not work, or are only marginally effective. Bug Zappers using ultraviolet light as an attractant are generally ineffective in reducing outdoor mosquito populations and their biting activity. Somewhat better results have been obtained with citronella candles. For maximum protection, use multiple candles positioned close towithin a few feetof where people are sitting. Ultrasonic devices, mosquito-repellent plants, and other "gimmicks" routinely advertised in the mass media are generally ineffective. If a mosquito control device sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Garden Check is published 10 times annually. Annual Subscription rate: $17.50, payable to University of Delaware. Direct subscription requests, questions, and comments to: Garden Check Agricultural Communications 113 Townsend Hall University of Delaware Newark, DE 19716-2103 Phone: 302-831-1355 Fax: 302-831-6758 E-mail: gardencheck@udel.edu Trade names given herein are supplied with the understanding that discrimination is not intended and no endorsement is implied by Delaware Cooperative Extension. To protect your safety and to obtain the best results when using any pesticide, always read the label and follow directions carefully. Call the Garden Line for help with home lawn, garden, and pest questions: New Castle Co. (302) 831-8862 Kent Co. (302) 730-4000 Sussex Co. (302) 856-7303 Find Garden Check back issues on the Internet: http://bluehen.ags.udel.edu/deces/hg/

THEYRE COMING! THEYRE HERE!

With all the hype about the arrival of the 17-year cicadas (Magicicada spetendcim), I thought a little information was in order. First, the adult stage of the cicada does not eat so gardeners need not worry about feeding damage to plants. This insects major role in the ecosystem is to provide a protein source for snakes and birds. After spending the past 17 years below ground, maturing and feeding off tiny hairs of tree roots, cicadas have lived the better part of their life cycle. So far, they have molted (shed their exoskeleton) four times. They climb above ground and molt one final time, which frees their wings. This molting process typically happens at night, so its not likely you will see it happen.You will find discarded shells clinging to trees. At this stage, cicadas have wings that can span several inches, thick bodies and noticeably red eyes. Male cicadas are known for their distinct call, which at 120 decibels, is louder than a lawnmower. The only injury may be by females that lay eggs in terminals (the tip) of tree branches, an action that can cause growing terminals to die. By the time you observe the damage, however, the eggs have already hatched, so no control will help. Trees do not die as result of cicada egg laying.

Susan Barton, Extension Specialist Ornamental Horticulture

University of Delaware Newark, Delaware 19716-2103

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative Extension System

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